Clothes hook and utility hanger



Feb. 19, 1946. R. J. LUKEMAN CLOTHES HOOK AND UTILITY HANGER Filed Oct. 15, 1944 IHVENT'OR R.J.LUKEMAN ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1946 CLOTHES HOOK AND UTILITY HANGER Richard J. Lukeman, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application October 13, 1944, Serial No. 558,572 In Canada October 19, 1943 1 Claim.

This invention relates to article hangers and has, for its object, the provision of an improved form of article hanger adapted to be locked in an article-retaining condition so that coats, hats or other articles suspended therefrom cannot be removed until after the locking mechanism has been released by a person equipped with a proper key.

The article hanger provided in accordance with this invention comprises a base plate adapted to be secured in a vertically extending position against a wall or other supporting structure, an arm extending outwardly and upwardly from said base plate and constituting an article-supporting hook or peg adapted to be received through an opening provided in an article such as a hat or coat which is to be suspended therefrom and a locking bar having one end pivoted to said plate and the other end formed to fit over the upper end of said arm, the last mentioned end of the locking bar constituting a lock casing containing a key-operated locking mechanism for locking it to the said upper end of the arm. In this arrangement the locking bar spans the space between the plate and the upper end of the article-supporting arm and prevents an article suspended from said arm being removed by slipping it over the upper end of the arm.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing, in association with said improved article hanger, electrical signalling means for sounding an alarm in the event that an attempt is made to circumvent the locking mechanism by sawing or cutting through a portion of the article supporting arm or the associated locking bar when the hanger is in its locked article-supporting condition.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of an article hanger installation embodying my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, designates a base plate adapted to be secured in a vertically extending position against a wall or other supporting structure. This plate carries an article-supporting arm 6 which extends outwardly and upwardly from the side of the plate opposite that secured against the wall o other supporting structure. The arm 6 is here shown as a curved hollow tube provided with a closed end '1 having a portion thereof shaped to provide a flange-forming element 8. The arm 6 is reinforced against bending by an internal reinforcing core 9 which preferably consists of a rod or bar of solid metal. A conductor i0 is interposed between the oore 9 and the inner wall of the tubular arm 6 and terminates, at its inner end, adjacent the closed end 1 of the arm. Conductor I0 is insulated from both the arm 6 and the reinforcing core 9 and is connected to one terminal of a battery it or other source of electrical energy. the remaining terminal of which is connected, through an electric bell [2 or other electrically actuated signalling means, to a terminal l3 attached to the arm 6. A locking bar supporting fitting l4, carried by an upper portion of the plate 5, is secured to one end of a locking ba l5 by means of a ball and socket joint I6. The opposite end of 1ocking bar I5 is constituted by a casing it provided with an opening l8 which permits it to be fitted over the upper end of the arm 6 so that the flange-forming portion 8 of said arm extends into said casing and is adapted to be releasably secured therein by locking means l9 forming part of a key-operated locking mechanism contained in said casing and adapted to be operated and released by means of a suitable removable key 29.

When the hange described herein is to be used as an article-lockinghanger the article sus pended therefrom must be provided with an opening through which the upper end of the articlesupporting arm 6 may be passed. For example, I have shown in the present drawing an element 22 which may be taken as representing a portion of the brim of a hat which is suspended from the arm 6. In order to permit the hat to be so suspended the brim portion 22 is provided with an opening 23, preferably reinforced by a rommet 24. This opening 23 permits the brim of the hatto be slipped over the arm 6 and then locked against removal by locking the flange-forming element 8 of said arm in place within the lock casing I! of the locking bar I5. If an attempt is made to circumvent the locking mechanism by sawing or cutting through the arm 6 at a point between the plate 5 and the lock casing H, the sawing or cutting tool used for this purpose will cut through the insulation of the conductor Hi and will thu contact the metal of said conductor and thereby complete a circuit fo the flow of current through the alarm bell l2 which is thus actuated to sound an alarm. The locking bar I5 is also provided with a strengthening core 25 and an insulated conductor 26 which correspond, respectively, to the previously mentioned core 9 and conductor ill. The conductor 26 extends from the'casing ii to and through the remote end of the ball and socket fitting l4 and'is connected to the same terminal of battery II to which conductor I0 is connected. An additional conductor 2| connects the fitting ll, through bell l2, to the same terminal of battery II to which the army 8 is connected. It will thus be seen that any attempt to circumvent the locking mechanism by cutting through the locking bar I! or the ball and socket joint 16 would also complete circuit connections for actuating the bell [2.

.Having thus described what I now conceive to be the preferred embodiment of this invention it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

An article hanger comprising a base plate adapted to be secured in a vertically extending position against a wall or other supporting structure, an article-supporting arm extending outwardly and upwardly from the lower poi tion of said plate. the uppe end or said arm beim adapted to be passed through an opening provided in a part of the article to be supported by said arm, a vertically swingable theft-preventing member having one end pivoted to the upper portion or said plate and provided. at its opposite end, with a lock casing having an opening through which the upper end or said article-supporting arm projects into said casing when said theftpreventing member is arranged in a horizontal position bridging the gap between the plate and the upper end of said arm, and key-operated locking mean in said-casing adapted to be operated into locking engagement with the upper end oi said arm to secure said theft-preventing member in its horizontal position bridging the gap between the upper end or the arm and said plate.

RICHARD J. LUKEMAN. 

